Detachable seat toilet



Dec. 29, 1970 J. w. PEASE 3,550,164

' DETACHABLE SEAT TOILET I Filed April 25, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 42 J NoJohn W Pease L INVENTOR. 146 I38 United States Patent 3,550,164DETACHABLE SEAT TOILET John W. Pease, 1730 Winchester Drive, WinterPark, Fla. 32789 Filed Apr. 25, 1968, Ser. No. 724,006 Int. Cl. A47k13/12 US. Cl. 4236 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This inventionrelates to a detachable seat toilet wherein the seat and seat cover forthe toilet may be removed by breaking the magnetic attraction ofmagnetic devices securing the seats to the toilet, and wherein as afurther aspect of the invention the magnetic devices themselves serve aspivot means for raising and lowering the toilet seat and cover.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For many years attempts have ben made toimprove sanitary conditions and facilitate the cleaning of the toiletfacilities of bathrooms. In this respect various improved molded hingeshave been provided to reduce dirt collecting areas, corners and crevicesto facilitate cleaning. However, a satisfactory solution for thecleaning of the toilet seats and in particular the area of the toiletand the seat about the hinge connection remains to be found. Cleaning ofthe seat usually required kneeling in front of the seat and cleaning ofthe hinge area requires use of a brush or other small implement toremove dirt from the corners and crevices. One prior art approach hasbeen to make the securing hinge part of plastic with a plastic securingnut alleged to make the hinge easily removable. This has not proved asatisfactory solution for the average housewife.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance wtih the subject invention,magnetic elements are provided to detachably secure the toilet seats tothe toilet and in one aspect of the invention the magnetic elements areshaped to provide pivotal surfaces such that the magnetic fasteneritself serves as a hinge member. Leverage means are also provided tofacilitate the release of the magnietic securing force.

" IBRIEFI DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects and advantages willappear from the following description of examples of the invention, whenconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novelfeatures will be particularly pointed out in the appending claims.

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a detachable seat toilet embodying theinvention,

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the device of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is asectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 3,

' FIG. 5 is' a rear perspective view of a portion of a detaken on line6-6 of "ice FIG. 10 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 6, illustrat-1ng another modification of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown a planand side elevational view of a detachable seat toilet 10 including awater tank 12, toilet bowl 14 with flanged portions 16 and 18, a toiletseat 20 and seat cover 22, connected by hinge means 24 to the flangedportions 16 and 18 of the toilet bowl. The flanged portions 16 and 18 ofthe bowl 14 are formed with vertical spaced holes therethrough, as forexample hole 26 (see FIG. 4).

In accordance with the subject invention, the hinge means 24 isconnected to the bowl by cooperating pairs of magnetic detachablefastening means. One pair of fastening means is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4and includes a fastener 28 having a flanged portion 30 to rest on theupper surface of flange 16, a head portion 32 recessed as at 34 (FIG. 3)to receive a hinge pivot shaft 36 of the hinge 24 and a post portion 38to be slidably received in the flange hole 26. In accordance with theinvention the lower extremity of the post 38 is shaped or adapted toprovide interface magnetic locking surfaces with a magnetic holdingdevice 40 secured to the lower face of the flange 16. In the preferredembodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the post 38 is formed with a threadedhole 42 to receive a threaded adjuster pin 44 having a semisphericalhead 46. The magnetic holding device 40 is formed with a nonmagneticplate 48 cemented or otherwise fixed to the lower surface of flange 16and formed with a curved central portion 49 to receive the head 46 ofadjusting pin 44. A magnet 50 is housed in a cup 41 which is fixed bybonding, brazing or other means to the plate 48. The opposite end ofhinge pivot shaft 36 is supported and fixed to toilet bowl flange 18 bya duplicate set of magnetic fastenings, the pivot head of a fastenerbeing shown at 52 in FIG. 1.

In assembly of the fastener 28 in flange hole 26, the adjusting pin 44unscrews sufliciently to engage the nonmagnetic device plate 48. At thismoment the flange 30 of fastener 28 may be spaced from the upper surfaceof flange 16. The fastener 28 is then rotated clockwise to draw theadjusting pin into the shaft 38 until the flange 30 rests on the uppersurface of the toilet bowl flange 16. The magnetic attraction of the pin44 to the magnetic device 40 holds the adjusting pin 44 stationary whilethe fastener 28 is rotated. The fastener, indicated at 52, on theopposite side of the hinge is adjusted in the same manner. The twofasteners are then removed from the spaced holes in the flanges 16 and18, attached to opposite ends of the shaft 36 and then reinserted in theflange holes.

The toilet seat 20 and cover 22 and hinge 24 are now magneticallysecured to the toilet bowl 14 and may be removed without tools andwithout unfastening nuts, simply by lifting the toilet seat to verticalposition and pulling upwardly to break the magnetic holding force. Thehinge area surface of the toilet bowl is then an unobstructed area, easyto clean, and the toilet seat, cover and hinge can be carried to aconvenient wash area for cleaning.

MODIFICATIONS In the modification incorporating the invention and shownin FIGS. 5 and 6, the hinge, indicated generally at 54, is fixed to therespective seat 56 and cover 58 in a conventional manner and the hingeis supported on a pair of magnetic pivot fastenings 59 and 60 in whichthe hinge shaft 62 is journalled. The fastenings 59 and 60 are formed atthe free ends thereof with spherical balls 64 and 66 of magneticattraction material to be received in a mating surface of associatedmagnetic holding devices, one of which is shown in detail at 68 in FIG.6.

As shown in FIG. 6, the holding device 68- includes a housing 70 havinga magnet 72 fitted therein and a nonmagnetic plate 74 fixed to thehousing 70 and centrally contoured as at 76 to receive the ball 64. Thetoilet bowl flanges 78 and 80 are formed with spaced holes 82 and 84 forfastening the seats and hinge to the toilet bowl 86.

Referring to FIG. 6, the magnetic device 68 is positioned in the flangehole 82 supported by the plate 74. The device 68 may be secured againstupward movement by any suitable means, including force fit or cements.However, as shown in FIG. 6, it is preferred to form a threaded flange71 on the bottom of the housing 70 and provide a threaded stud 88 andwasher 90, the stud being threaded into the flange 71.

To remove the seat and hinge of the modification shown in FIGS. 5 and 6,and thus far described, the hinge is lifted at one side to break onemagnetic ball from its hold magnet and then is lifted at its oppositeend to break the remaining ball loose.

As a further improvement, it is preferred, according to an aspect of theinvention, to provide on the balls 64 and 66 respectively, projectingtabs 92 and 94 to provide leverage means for breaking the holdingmagnetic force. Thus, by lifting on the hinge 54 the balls 64 and 66rotate until the tabs 92 and 94 hit the plates 74 and 75 and pry theballs off the plates. Either the hinge or the lower seat is providedwith a pad as at 96 to keep weight off the hinge.

In the modification of FIGS. 7 and 8, each seat is hinged on its ownpair of magnetic balls and means are provided for accommodating twopairs of magnetic holding devices such that the magnetic devices actboth as hinge means and hold-down means, and also provide for separateremoval of the seats. Thus, magnetic holding devices 98 and 100 (FIG. 7)are fitted in the usual toilet bowl flange holes 102 and 104 aspreviously described for FIG. 6, and magnetic balls 106 and 108connected to the seat 99 pivot on the holding devices 08 and 100. Forthe seat cover magnet balls 110 and 112 are connected to the cover seatas shown and pivot on holddown devices 114 and 116 respectively, locatedin a block 118 having spaced holes 120 and 122 to receive the devices114 and 116. Here again tabs as indicated at 124, 126, 128, and areprovided to break the magnetic holding forces when the seats are pivotedsufficiently to engage the tabs with the holding devices.

FIG. 9 illustrates the use of a cylindrical pivot 132,

rather than the spherical ball previously described. The

magnetic holding device indicated generally at 133 is identical with thedevices shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 except that the plate 135 is formed witha cylindrical socket surface to mate with the cylindrical pivot 132.

FIG. 10 shows a modification of the invention in which a magneticholding device is fixed to the hinge itself. Thus, in FIG. 10 a post 134having a hinge socket head 136 is slidably received in a hole 138 of afitting having a magnetic material flange 142. The fitting is secured inthe hole 144 of a toilet bowl flange 1 46 by suitable means, as forexample a washer 148 and stud 150 threaded into a threaded portion 152of the fitting 140. Fixed to the post 134 as by welding or othersuitable means is a magnetic holding device having a housing 154 of fluxpermeable material fitted with a magnet 156 to circulate flux throughthe housing 154 and flange 142. In this arrangement, lifting on the post134 breaks the magnetic holding force to remove the toilet seats (notshown) which are hinge connected to a pair of the posts 134.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials,and arrangements of parts, which have been herein described andillustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be madeby those skilled in 4 the art within the principle and scope of theexpressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A detachable seat toilet comprising in combination:

(a) a toilet seat;

(b) a toilet having a flange portion with spaced holes therethroughreceiving fastener means securing said toilet seat and having upper andlower surfaces;

(c) hinge means connected to said toilet seat;

(d) magnetic detachable fastening means securing said hinge means tosaid toilet, said fastening means including (e) a first pair of magneticelements and means attaching said elements each within one of the holdportions of said toilet flange to present a substantially unobstructedsurface on said toilet flange portion for cleaning; f (f) a second pairof magnetic elements cvonnected to said hinge means in spaced relationand received each by an associate of said first pair of magneticelements whereby said seat may be detachably removed from said toilet bylifting said seat to overcome the holding bias of said magnetic elementsand said toilet flange portion may be easily wiped clean.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1: V

(a) said second pair of magnetic elements each having a sphericalsurface;

(b) said first pair of magnetic elements each having a spherical socketportion to form with said first magnetic elements ball and socket pivotjoints.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2: 5

(a) said second pair of magnetic elements each having a projection toprovide a leverage element in the lifting of said toilet seat to breaksaid magnetic holding force.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1:

(a) each of said first pair of magnetic elements comprising a centrallyapertured flanged portion for resting on said upper surface of saidtoilet flange, a tubular portion to be received in said flange hole,said tubular portion being fixed to said flange portion at one end andinternally threaded adjacent its other end;

(b) said attaching means for said first magnetic'elements including athreaded fastener to be received in said tubular portion and abutagainst said lower surface of said toilet flange;

(c) said hinge means including a pair of hinge support posts slidablyreceived each in an associate of said apertured first magnetic elements;I

((1) each of said second pair of magnetic elements being fixed to anassociate of said posts for magnetic holding engagement with said firstmagnetic elements.

invention as References Cited 1/1953 Germany 1-6 17 1 LAVERNE D. GEIGER,Primary Examiner p. B. MAssENBERG, Assistan Examiner

